The Sooner softball team celebrates a home run by slugger Shay Knighten earlier this season at Marita Hynes Field in Norman.

Marise Boehs | CNHI Sports Oklahoma

A closer look at the Norman softball regional

By Joe Buettner | CNHI Sports Oklahoma

May 16, 2019

The Sooner softball team celebrates a home run by slugger Shay Knighten earlier this season at Marita Hynes Field in Norman.

Marise Boehs | CNHI Sports Oklahoma

NORMAN — The NCAA softball Norman Regional, scheduled to run Friday through Sunday, includes Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

OU opens the regional with UMBC, which won the America East tournament. The Sooners and Retrievers will play at 8:30 p.m. Friday. The game will air on ESPN2 and will follow a 6 p.m. contest between Wisconsin and Notre Dame.

If the Sooners top the Retrievers, they’ll face the winner of Wisconsin-Notre Dame on Saturday for a spot in Sunday’s regional final. A loss to UMBC on Friday would put OU in an elimination game on Saturday.

Here’s a look at all the teams:

No. 1 Oklahoma

Record: 49-2

NFCA rank: No. 1

RPI: No. 1

Last 10: 10-0

The skinny: OU won the Big 12 regular-season championship with an 18-0 conference record and has won an NCAA single-season record 39-consecutive games.

No. 2 Notre Dame

Record: 36-16

NFCA rank: N/A

RPI: 34

Last 10: 9-1

The skinny: Notre Dame won 10 straight games before most recently losing to defending national champion Florida State. The Irish offense features ACC Player of the Year Cait Brooks, who’s hit a school single-season record 20 home runs in 2019.

No. 3 Wisconsin

Record: 40-12

NFCA rank: N/A

RPI: 38

Last 10: 8-4

The skinny: The Badgers are in the NCAA tournament for a third consecutive year and for the eighth time in program history after bowing out of the Big Ten tournament in the semifinal round.

No. 4 UMBC

Record: 30-22

NFCA rank: N/A

RPI: 204

Last 10: 7-3

The skinny: The Retrievers, led by America East Pitcher of the Year Courtney Coppersmith, are in the NCAA field after winning their conference tournament to steal an automatic bid.

ADA [ndash] Melvin Dale Haworth, 85, of Ada went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Sunday, May 19, 2019, following a brief illness. A celebration of life service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church in Ada, with the Rev. Jerry Wells will officiate. Burial …

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